Storytime, readers! Here’s a small recap of Pop!Thorin’s trip to London.
The King had demanded he wanted to go back to the place he has such happy memories of. It just so happened that his PA aka Guylty had a business trip scheduled for this week, and so he latched on and came along. We were treated to a fancy British Airways flight right into London. Thorin fully approved of London City Airport. Getting off the plane and into public transport literally took 5 minutes! And arriving at the hotel another 30 minutes. London City Airport is the new airport of choice for Thorin and his entourage!!!
The hotel proved to be worthy of the King. It was comprised of four historic buildings that had been converted into “The Rookery”, and was furnished with antiques through-out, down to the fittings in the bathrooms. Instead of impersonal room numbers, all rooms had been given the name of a RL person who had once occupied the buildings. (Aside: My Our room was named after a servant, Thomas Percy, who had initially started out as the apprentice to a wine-merchant but could not stick the “monotonous employment of drawing-off, bottling, corking and binning” of wine, the folder with his life story that was left in our room informed me. No luxurious tasting of Pinot Noir then, Thomas? “My time there dragged on as a lengthened and galling chain: for my health, always weak, was greatly impaired by constant confinement in damp, murky cellars. I stole an occasional half hour in the morning, between seven and eight o’clock, to look at the sky, breathe a little fresh air and wander in the vicinity of my prison cave.” Aw, poor sod. He essentially couldn’t stick it, released himself from his apprenticeship and became the servant of a cheesemonger in the street the hotel is located in. He died of pneumonia in 1865, aged 37.) The room as it is now, most certainly would not have been as luxurious in 1865. I did a little walk-through for you and captured it on my phone:
Suffice to say, Thorin approved. The room was more Locksley than Erebor, but well, this was London, not Middle-earth, so he had to content himself with what we got. The pillows were soft and the linen spotless.
The hotel did not feature a breakfast room – which meant that breakfast had to be eaten in bed. The hardship!
Those freshly baked croissants were to-die-for. The tea wasn’t bad, either, made even sweeter by Thorin’s antics. He’s quite a cheery fellow when he relaxes, you know…
The only thing he really was rather annoyed with was the over-sized bathrobes the hotel supplied. I think he has a point there…
Thorin insisted that we visit the scene of his anointment ceremony, and so on Wednesday evening after work we met with Hariclea and relived a few sentimental memories in Waterloo. Not to be outdone by a mere *building*, Thorin creeped into the shot… hence he’s a bit out of focus down there at the bottom…
He was hungry after the visit to the stage door, and so he allowed Hariclea to take us to a restaurant on The Cut, which apparently some actor-fella had once graced with his presence, too…
It was a lovely evening in Olivelli’s, which we spent sitting at a table outside, enjoying the glorious and very reasonably priced!! Italian food. Thank you to Hariclea for entertaining me ❤
Alas, the Friday morning was our last in the hotel. Thorin heartily endorses the place:
Did I say Friday morning was the last of our London stay? Well, the story continues. PA Guylty had been publicly complaining on Twitter about leaving sunny and warm London for rainy and cold Dublin. The universe stepped in immediately. Due to a major fuck-up, Guylty took herself and her charge to back to London City Airport for a flight due to leave at 5.25 pm. Arriving at the airport with two and a half hours to spare, she dawdled between tea, sandwiches and a smoke before she finally decided to check the entourage in. And only then, an hour before the scheduled departure, did she notice she had actually gone to the wrong airport!!! The flight back was from Heathrow, not City. What a doozy! Off to the British Airways ticket desk to rebook onto a later flight to Dublin. Except that one of the day’s remaining scheduled flights to Dublin had been cancelled, hence the sole remaining flight was heavily overbooked, as were all flights out of Heathrow that night. There was no other way than to spend another night in London. Yes, the hardship!!
Well, let’s just say, thank cod for good friends in London! My friends who had hosted me for my previous London antics (AUJ premiere 2012, two Crucible visits 2014) jumped into the breach and offered Thorin and myself a bed for the night. 
The adage “princess on the pea” comes to mind, eh, Thorin??? Ok, he was a bit tetchy by that point because my friends have a penchant for – wait for it – dragons!!! Thorin was not amused and had Orcrist at the ready at all times!
Anyway, we eventually left London on Saturday evening, after Thorin had dug into a chocolate mountain muffin in memory of Caffe Nero on The Cut where we had drunk many a cappuccino during the “Summer of Love”…
And thus the unexpected journey finally came to an end. But not to a denouement – in fact a new climax awaited us as mail and packages had piled up for us during our absence. Remember Sinnamin and her darling plushies? Well, she surprised me with a pressie:
Look at that plushie Thorin brooch – it even has the metal hair clips!!! And the Red Dragon sign will come in handy next week, I should think.
Fellow fan Tommie completely buttered me up out with a shipment of peanut butter M&Ms and some gorgeous mixture of amaretto, honey and butter, as well as some cute tins (see above).
And Donna, whom I had sent one of the last few fandom identifier badges, returned the favour with a cool Irish themed badge for me (right).
It sure is hard to say good-bye to London even if you are not a total eejit who doesn’t cop on which airport to fly out from, but it is very easy to come home to such lovely gifts! Maybe I need to go away more often?
Thorin could not wait to try out his new flower crown courtesy of Sinnamin. So I leave you with a happy Thorin – don’t be fooled by the ironically raised left Royal eyebrow. It’s good to be back!
Guylty Pleasure 
Das hört sich doch nach einem wunderschönen Wochenende an!
Und die Bümchenkrone steht Thorin wirklich!!! gut 🙂
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Wochenende ist gut – ich war von Dienstag bis Samstag da. Zum Arbeiten! Thorin hat mir nur die Freizeit versüßt. 🙂 Aber ist wirklich herzallerliebst in Blümchenkrone. So stelle ich mir eine Erebor-Hochzeit mit dem jungen Prinz Thorin vor 😉
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Jetzt musst Du nur noch die passende Prinzessin kreieren….ich denke Du hast schon ganz konkrete Vorstellungen 🙂
War das business wenigstens erfolgreich?
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Looks like it was a wonderful journey for you and Thorin. ROFL at the oversized robe pic! Priceless… =)
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Did you see his face? He was so not happy with that robe – and the fact that I documented him getting smothered by the garment. But well, he’s always a good sport 😉
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It was an absolutely indignant face!
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That whole post was too cute for silence. I think a collective awwwhhhhhhh is in order. Love Thorin photo bombing the Old Vic shot. And the hotel, well, just everything. What a great trip and so many “summer of love” memories. I wonder what you will call this summer? “The summer of dragons?” No that sounds like it should reference GOT. Summer of tweets? I am sure you and Thorin can think of something.
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I think good ole Thorin had missed the whole photo malarkey. He was actively looking for opportunities to pose. In the end I had to delete a few unsuitable shots…
The summer of dragons – that’s actually really suitable, Red Dragon, Thorin fighting Smaug and all.
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What a completely delightful post. It seems that you had a wonderful time. I loved the little vid. Great reminders of last summer……..”the summer of love”
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Yep, I was very much reminded of last summer. Partly because the weather was so much like last year – warm, sunshine, balmy evenings on The Cut. I could still feel remnants of that underlying excitement and sense of expectation in myself. I had to smile to myself when we walked down the side street to the stage door 🙂
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Okay, this is too precious and wonderful! (Looks like you’re going to have to make plans to come to Savannah in the future. Note: In the summer, it is hotter than… well the forges of Erebor.)
Also, thank you thank you thank you! for you know what!!!
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Don’t mention it. And yes, I think Pop!Thorin would love to “Go Savannah”. And hey, looks like I have a new job, too – which means potential for savings = travel… xx
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Did you get my email??? The whole thing is pretty awesome!
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Oh, I did – yes. Ha, haven’t looked at my mail since I came back last night. Better do that now…
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I’m glad your adventuring was fruitful too!!!! (My sister was offered a new job Friday! She starts it in 2 weeks! It was a Fruitful Friday!!!!)
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Looks as if it is a good year, job-wise… 😀
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Awwwhhhhhhhh !!!!! See, there can be lots of fun for us when the Royal entourage is on a business trip. Thanks for this brilliantly funny and enjoyable story. That “Rockery” rooms look really inviting. Dear Pop Thorin is a (quiet) savourer, but I’ve seen him grinning! (clearly)
The pea came to my mind right away. Thank goodness, as king of the mountain he is not easily sick at high altitudes……
The Cut! All those sweet memories…..We all had such a blast.
(Yeah and I have to remind myself the City Airport sounds very convenient!!! (as long as one has to get a flight from there…. Hahahahhaa))
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I am telling you – dear Thorin is a fabulous travel companion. A great talker (ok, or “talking point”), fabulous poseur for photos, always encouraging, and snarky-funny when you need cheering up. “Stiller Genießer” you bet!!!
Yes, I don’t think I will ever be able to walk down The Cut, or pass the OV, or even go through Waterloo Station *without* thinking of the summer of love. Great memories, not just of art, theatre and RA, but also of the people I met and the fun we had.
Re. City Airport – was looking at flights for myself and daughter just now. Deliberating whether it is worth € 120 more to fly direct into City rather than to the back of beyond with cheapo Ryanair? Maybe I need to get my first salary from the new job and then treat us to the luxury of London City Airport… Very tempting, though!
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Wow, what a cute post and a wonderful week (I need more business trips like that), despite mishaps. (If it consoles at all, I once took myself to Frankfurt/Main airport when my ticket was from Duesseldorf — it took only $1300 to recover from that one). Looks like you, Thorin, and Hariclea had a wonderful time. All you needed was a restaging of the play!
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Ouch – *that* airport mishap really must have hurt… The worst thing with things like that is that there is no one else to blame but oneself. That really, really sucks!
As for business trips like that – well, I didn’t say anything about the actual business part of it *ggg*. It was interesting. Frightening of sorts. Well, maybe the word is “challenging”. I am going to have to get my ass into gear in more ways than one. But hey, life’s boring if one only takes the safe path with the hand-rails and the anti-slip mats. Here’s to a bit of abseiling and free-falling *gulps*
And yes, a restaging of the play would have been fantastic. That is the one bittersweet thing about the summer of love – knowing it will never be repeated. Ever.
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If anyone can abseil with grace and charm, it’s gotta be you, babe!
re: Summer of Love — It might not have been as good the second time, so … at least we have our memories.
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They don’t call me the “Schaumschläger” for nothing *ggg*.
Absolutely right re. a repeat of the summer of love. I have learnt from history (…) that “it’s never as good as the first time”…
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I love love love Pop!Thorin’s adventures 🙂 More please!
Years ago I had a little photoproject going on with a sort of beanie baby frog whom I took pictures of around the globe (instead of doing lame tourist shots of myself) … maybe he’ll get his own blog post some day when I manage to scan some pics (lol, the crux of analog photography)
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Yeah, those puppets-on-trips are great fun – and a fantastic way of avoiding uncomfortable and boring self-portraiture 😀 Thorin has been the subject of many a trip’s photo albums already. Mostly on tumblr, though.
Yeah, analog is extra-laborious these days…
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Pop! Thorin is a doll in more ways than one ❤ Thanks for this adorable post 🙂 Next best thing to being there (don't I just wish ❤
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hehe, you could say that!
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Such a sweet post! makes me wish for a trip to London. Got butterflies looking at the pic of The Old Vic for some reason, maybe because I remember the excitement of last year, has it really been a year?…. Thorin looks like he enjoyed breakfast if not his bathrobe xx
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Thorin is such a great reason to take photos and to share them 🙂 Much better than anything with *me* in it.
The Old Vic has that effect on me, too. It is inextricably linked to the excitement of seeing RA act in the flesh. I almost felt giddy when I waited for Hariclea opposite the OV… That’s the great thing about all this: It makes me feel so young and alive. RA is a tonic 🙂
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What a delightful post! And lucky you being in London again! I always love reading your adventures with Pop!Thorin. We Aussie girls have our Little Guys and Little Thorins who join us at our meet ups, with lots of ensuing hilarity. I was totally corrupted after my first get together three years ago, and have since taken my own Little Thorin on my trips. I can imagine it being bittersweet returning to the Old Vic – hard to believe it’s been a year, but what wonderful memories you have. 🙂
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Oh London… love it. Although I wouldn’t want to live there. (I am currently already planning the next trip. Barbican “Hamlet” in October. I am currently trying to decide whether I will splash out on flights to my new favourite airport. It’s 80 Euro (120 AUD) more… Anyway, aren’t those Guys and Thorins fun? Ha, I actually also have a Little Guy, maybe I should extend the entourage and bring him along, too. (I suspect Thorin would be unamused to have an upstart, lowly “Sir” accompany us…)
A year passes so quickly. In a way the memory feels very fresh. And at the same time it also feels like aaaaages ago. Maybe because there was *so much* going on, relentlessly, every night: news, pictures, reports.
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*g* Ein leicht verspätetes “Willkommen zurück”, und ich könnte jetzt hinzufügen, dass du es wirklich besser wissen solltest als Thorin die Route zum Flughafen planen zu lassen, aber das wäre ein ganz klein wenig gemein, und deshalb sage ich es nicht. 😉
Ich finde den kleinen Krieger in der großen Tee-Tasse ZU süß. 😀
Ich hoffe allerdings, dass du damit fertig warst, bevor er … Nicht dass dein nächster Blogpost den Titel trägt “Die Wahrheit über Schwarztee” … Umph! 😀
Danke auch – ja, falsche Stelle, ich weiß – für die Sammlung. Vielleicht komme ich später dazu, mich durchzuklicken, ansonsten die nächsten Tage.
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*kicher* Ich fürchte, die missglückte Planung muss ich auf meine Kappe nehmen. Aber vermutlich hat Thorins allgemeine Desorientierung wohl mittlerweile auf mich abgefärbt, daher dann der Lapsus mit dem Airport.
Der Tee war bereits ausgetrunken, ja. Ich trinke ja Tee mit sehr viel Milch, und Thorin hat zunächst sichergestellt, dass keine Milch mehr an seine Treter kommt, wenn er da einsteigt. Er wollte nicht wie eine Käsetheke nach Stromausfall riechen.
Never mind the round-up – das ist diesmal ein brachiales Werk…
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In anderen Worten: Wenn seine Treter nach Käse riechen, ist nicht der Tee schuld? – Hm. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob er sich mit der Logik nicht selbst ein Bein gestellt hat … 😛
Dein brachiales Round-up muss noch warten. Ich habe in letzter Zeit zu viel RA in mich rein geschaufelt, da gehe ich es jetzt erst mal gemütlich und ruhig an. (Außerdem frustet mich, dass ich keine Möglichkeit gefunden habe, Dolly zeitnah zu sehen, und das lastet auf meiner Stimmung. *seufz* Naja, was soll’s, ich werd’s überleben.) 😉
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Oha, da hast du Recht…
Lass dir ruhig Zeit mit dem Round-up – der düfte ja für mehrere Tage reichen 😉
Das mit der nächsten Folge von Hannibal habe ich auch noch nicht organisiert…
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Love it, love it, love it! You made me laugh out loud with the bathrobe shot. And tucked up in bed in that perfectly luxurious room, Thorin looked very comfortable.
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Watch it, Linnet, poor Thorin is very sensitive when it comes to any jokes re. his size 😉 I had to soothe his otherwise oversized ego with extra cuddles ;-).
Hope you had a look at the video re. research for a place to stay when you are in London. I can only recommend it. The breakfast was spectacular – although not inclusive in the price of the room. And it *had to be taken* in bed… Great excuse to indulge, I think…
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Extra cuddles, forsooth! It sounds like Thorin has his consolations 🙂
Sadly the Rookery was all booked up on the day we will be there. I ended up with a room at a place called the Montcalm at the Brewery. It’s close to the Barbican though I doubt the room will boast the lovely appointments yours had! My little Pabbie will surely be quite disappointed and require extra cuddles.
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Had a quick look. The Montcalm looks pretty spectacular, too! And great to be so close to the Barbican! I don’t think Pabbie will be disappointed – but extra cuddles are always good 😉
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Well, it’s a bargain room so I am not expecting much. That way I can’t be disappointed. But I do love a beautiful hotel. At the moment I am staying in a dormitory which is extremely spartan, so I’ll be ready for a little luxury 🙂
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Bargain or not – these kinds of hotels do not have ugly, sub-standard rooms. I am sure it is going to be fantastic – and more luxurious than a dorm in any case. Nice contrast, Linnet 😀
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Looks like your work travel provided some sweet treats at both ends🌹
Enjoyed your mini hotel room vid, makes me want to go back really bad. Overheard hubs talking about going back to Ireland at dinner last night…hmm Don’t expect this to happen this year, but nice to hear him wanting to go back. Usually hard to convince him to visit same places twice as he is thorough when seeing all points of interest traveling. Maybe all my talk of going last year has him reevaluating. 😈
That 👑 King of yours sure keeps people on their toes.
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Reblogged this on MimiCruzC and commented:
Guylty and her 👑 King under the bedcovers provide us with great travel tips ☕️ and 🍞 and short video view of a good place to stay when visiting London, UK that is. 😈
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Yep, definitely a place to stay. Thanks for reblogging, Mimi x
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Catching up on 2-3 weeks of emails and just read this. Couldn’t stop grinning over your London/Thorin adventures and pictures (princess and the pea did come to mind when I saw the stacked pillows). My Thorin went to beach with me for 3 days which I put into stories. Of course we know how he feels about water. Enjoy the M&Ms and the honey butter.
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Where are your Thorin on Holiday stories? Link them here, so we can all see them 🙂
M&Ms are already half gone… I suspect, someone else is dipping their hands in them…
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Link them? You just went way beyond my techno prowess. But I’ll email them to you like the others.
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Received. And I still think they ought to be visible to more people 😉
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see, you say Locksley and my mind does funny things: cue leather clad figure sprawled across an antique bed :-p
Ehem, cough…
Glad you were here and Thorin too 🙂 sorry i was lost in the CC vortex on Friday! But the friendly housing was nearly as posh as the hotel 🙂
And yes we heartily recommend Olivelli! Best italian i’ve had in a while.
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The whole Locksley mindfuck was deliberate *ggg*. I had visions of the “Master of the Manor” coming for a nocturnal visit, myself 😀
No worries about Friday – you did more than your duty! I look forward to your post about the con on your blog. And Olivelli should be made our “local”/Stammtisch!
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now all himself needs to do is get his great a** back to London to the Old Vic so we can visit Olivelli more often 😉
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Nah, we can visit it anytime, whether he’s hauled his arse back to London or not 😉 Although it would be preferable if he did!
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